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I was born in Detroit long ago and have since witnessed its strengths and weaknesses firsthand. I've worked in the city and surrounding suburbs for years, and have cared for its citizens in hospitals, clinics and my office practice.

And I can truly say that today, the spirit and pride in Detroit has never been higher. The greater Detroit area is tailor-made to be a wellness mecca, with its beautiful international waterways, parks and recreational areas to encourage a variety of outdoor activities. Here are some of the best places to pursue health and wellness in the Motor City and surrounding suburbs.

I get outside.

The Dequindre Cut is a former Grand Trunk Railroad line that is now a 20-foot wide paved path for walkers, runners and bikers. It was extended in the spring of 2016 to reach the Detroit Eastern Market and is crowded with families enjoy outdoor exercise. The urban artwork and graffiti provide a local color.

NetworkingOut is group that organizes runs and boot camps in the city with the goal of exercising the body while providing an opportunity to meet other people of similar spirit.

I try out local fitness classes.

Citizen Yoga has a center in Detroit and suburban Royal Oak and has developed a loyal following under the careful teaching of Kacee Must, who spent several years studying on an ashram in Pune, India. The lunchtime classes in Detroit give office workers an opportunity to get on and off their mat and back to work with better energy and mindfulness.

Detroit Body Garage led by Terra Castro is a former bank that has been transformed into a unique community fitness center that offers boot camps, children workshops, yoga, and community events. Castro recently opened her gym to a fun run led by Rich Roll to support healthy plant based nutrition in Detroit.

The QLINE will depart the Penske Technical Center at approximately 9:35 am and reach the Warren Avenue station around 10:30 am. It will then be attached to a vehicle and towed the full 6.6-mile loop as part of the regular testing protocol. No passengers will be on board.

It was an incredible year for dining across the U.S. in 2016. With chefs from NY, Chicago and SF moving to smaller markets like Denver, Charlotte, Seattle and Charleston (among others), culinary innovation is booming in cities big and small. But which food town had the biggest growth spurt this year? For one final look back, we've asked editors around the country to make a case for the city they believe had the biggest year in food by assessing the number of exciting new openings, award recognition and national media attention. Then we let some of the top food media brass weigh in on which locales were most exciting.

The Motor City has gone through a lot of, shall we say, changes over the last few decades. Celebrity chef and James Beard award-winner Michael Symon is often credited with kick-starting the city's food revival when he opened Roast in 2008. Now, Roast alums have opened some of the city’s hottest and most critically acclaimed spots, like Selden Standard, which this year garnered chef Andy Hollyday his second James Beard award nomination. Nick Janutol, who cut his teeth at top-rated restaurants like Eleven Madison Park in New York and Ria in Chicago, also picked up a James Beard nom this year for his work at Forest Grill. And Top Chef contestant James Rigato, of Hazel Park's year-old Mabel Gray, also received a James Beard award nomination, and won acclaim from Eater's Bill Addison with a spot on his Best New Restaurants in America list. Adorable new pastry shop Sister Pie got some love from both Eater and Bon Appetit, earning a nomination for their best new restaurant lists. Other big openings in 2016 include ultrahip Thai spot Katoi from chef Brad Greenhill; Grey Ghost Detroit, which was opened by two well-known Chicago chefs (yes, chefs are leaving other cities to come to Detroit now!); and Chinese-American restaurant The Peterboro, opened by the owners of much-loved Motown spots Wright & Co. and Sugar House. And there's more in store: Twice-nominated James Beard Rising Star of the Year Garrett Lipar's new tasting table spot Albena and Townhouse owner Jeremy Sasson's new modern steakhouse Prime + Proper are two of the city's most anticipated restaurants for 2017. Standbys also got their due: Classic Lebanese spot Al Ameer became the first Michigan restaurant to win the JBF America's Classic award this year.

Meanwhile, Detroit's influence elsewhere continues to grow with the rise of Detroit-style pizza in NYC (Emmy Squared, Talde's new Massoni) as well as expats the Sussman brothers opening two Detroit-inspired concepts in Brooklyn, including a short-lived homage to the hometown icon, the Coney Island diner. Will we see more NYC chefs expanding to Detroit? You betcha. It was also announced this year that NYC Italian chef Andrew Carmellini would be in charge of the food at the upcoming Shinola Hotel in Detroit, opening in 2018.